The suspension system in our car integrates with the steering system and it is needed to provide us with some amount of control. Suspension is needed to absorb some amount of energy from bumps and jolts in the road. As a result, the car can be kept under control and it is always stable. Springs, struts and shocks need to compress and release many times over the car’s life. Eventually, they will weaken. These parts are needed for cushioning us from bumps. They are also essential for cornering and proper road handling. Although suspension isn’t as critical as brakes, they contribute a lot in providing us with good road experience.
Suspension also plays a major part in ensuring our safety while on the road. There are cases of accidents caused by broken or worn out suspension system. Under specific driving conditions, the car could roll over. There are obvious signs of worn out suspension components. While cornering the car, we may hear noise or feel some vibration. We could also get uneven tire wear. The operating conditions and our driving habits also determine how fast the suspension will wear out. The frequency of wheel alignment and chassis lubrications will also help lengthen the life of suspension system.
Wheel alignment is an important thing that we need to consider. We need to perform tire alignment to lengthen the life of our tires. If tires have improper alignments, premature tire failure and excessive tire wear may cause failures. A new set of tires may cost us more than $600 a set, so it is important that they can last longer. We need to perform periodic adjustments and alignments to save hundreds of dollars. It should be quite easy to known whether the car is out of alignment. One common indication is when the car pulls to one side when we are driving it. We should check the condition of our car in the nearest mechanic’s shop.
Tires are directly connected to the suspension system and they should be considered as important safety components. Good tires will maintain a proper contact point between the road and our car. Tires can be quite expensive and we should make sure that they are in proper condition. As an example, having tire pressure too low or too high could affect handling and braking performance. In order to maximize tire life, reduce wear and improve safety, we should ensure correct pressure. Ideal tire inflation could actually improve the mileage of our car by 3 percent, which is equal to a substantial amount of money in the long run.
It is important to regularly check the tire pressure and those cheap gauges should already work quite well. Tire pressure should be checked when tires are still in normal, room temperature, not after driving for more than an hour on hot tarmac. All four tires should be checked independently. Over-inflated tires could compromise stopping ability and handling performance. Underinflated tires may cause increased drag and tire will wear out quickly.